Naghash Ensemble to Tour US on 10th Anniversary

At the heart of the Naghash Ensemble’s appeal is the unique combination of instrumentation and vocal prowess. The ensemble’s three extraordinary female vocalists — Hasmik Baghdasaryan, Tatevik Movsesyan, and Shahane Zalyan — alongside some of Armenia’s finest instrumentalists on duduk, oud, dhol and piano, create a mesmerizing atmosphere that feels at once rooted in the past and strikingly fresh.

In Hodian’s compositions, ancient Armenian sacred texts, such as the evocative poems of exiled medieval priest Mkrtich Naghash, are woven into a fabric of sound that draws on a diverse set of influences. As Armenia’s most celebrated composer, Tigran Mansurian, aptly put it, the music of the Naghash Ensemble is “the sound of ancient Armenia reinvented for the 21st century.”

“ Songs of Wisdom” draws inspiration from another Armenian medieval poet, Kostandin Erznkatsi, whose writings, filled with admonitions and sorrow, pushed Hodian to explore new musical terrain. These new compositions are more rhythmic, intense, and emotionally charged but retain the haunting melancholy that defines so much of Armenian sacred and folk music. This shift in style comes not only from the text but from a decade of creative evolution, during which the ensemble has honed its distinctive voice on stages across Europe and the world.

The Naghash Ensemble members are Hasmik Baghdasaryan (soprano), Tatevik Movsesyan (soprano), Shahane Zalyan (alto), Harutyun Chkolyan (duduk), Aramayis Nikoghosyan (oud), Tigran Hovhannisyan (dhol), John Hodian (piano/composer).

To find out more, visit www.naghashensemble.com.